Lala Anthony is holding on to her married name and is not the first famous woman to do so.
The actress and media personality sat for a panel during Fanatics Fest over the weekend. While speaking about her 17-year-old son Kiyan, which she shares with former Denver Nuggets star Carmelo Anthony, Lala revealed she will keep the last name. She explained that she wants to have the same name as her son when he makes it to the NBA.
“That’s why I haven’t changed my last name yet,” the 42-year-old revealed. “I’m gonna keep it around for a little while!”
The mother of one and Carmelo got engaged in 2004 before marrying in 2010. Unfortunately, she split from the NBA star in 2017 before filing for divorce in 2021. At the time, she cited irreconcilable differences. However, people pointed to Carmelo’s fathering a daughter outside his marriage as the real reason behind the marriage’s demise. Either way, both have spoken highly of one another publicly.
Lala joins a long list of celebrities who have chosen to keep their marital names even after their relationships soured. In Tina Turner’s biopic, “What’s Love Got To Do With It,” there is an epic scene where Tina, portrayed by Angela Bassett, says her husband, Ike Turner, could keep everything but her stage moniker in their divorce. While Tina later admitted in an interview with Oprah Winfrey that it was actually her lawyer urging for her to keep the name, in the end, she legally remained under this identity until she passed away in May 2023.
Beyonce and Solange’s mother, Tina Knowles, may have divorced their father, Matthew Knowles, in 2011, but she did not drop his last name. Even after marrying actor Richard Lawson in April 2015, she kept Knowles and added Lawson to her name. Now that the pair have split, the hairstylist simply goes by Tina Knowles again.
While these women have their own reasons for opting to hold on to their marital names, all of it appears to be rooted in preserving the legacies they’ve helped build. Here are a few other fabulous stars who kept their ex’s family name post-breakup.
Andrea Kelly, R. Kelly’s ex-wife
Larsa Pippen, Scottie Pippen’s ex-wife
Nicole Murphy, Eddie Murphy’s ex-wife
Shereé Whitfield, Bob Whitfield’s ex-wife
Kris Jenner, Bruce Jenner (aka Caitlyn Jenner’s) ex-wife
Kimora Lee Simmons, Russell Simmons ex-wife
Phylicia Rashad, ex-wife of Ahmad Rashad
